WorldWide Drilling Resource

Block your number when you call people back from your cell phone. This sounds rude, but it cuts down on phone calls during the time you are not working. Unfortunately, we do not take big family vacations, but I do manage to take the time off that is needed for family events, children’s sporting events, and to recharge my batteries. I do not do well sitting idle and I like to micromanage our crews, so taking extended vacations is difficult for me. I try to make up for this by taking time off during the winter and arranging my schedule so I can take the kids to school or pick them up at various events. Have a game plan. Whether for retirement or for the business. Set goals. This sounds simple, but it is not. I love my job, but I don’t want to be working when I am 70 years old. One of the nice things about a family business is we have enough children and siblings that the torch can be passed on, which is where succession and planning come into place. As of right now, my boys want to be baseball players, and my oldest daughter wants to swim and ride horses, but when the time comes, if the situation is right, they will have the opportunity to work in our industry. This is one of the most difficult aspects of a family business. While it is great to work with my father and get to see him on a daily basis, this has been one of our biggest struggles. We have learned to separate business from family. If a family issue comes up, it is not discussed in the field or in the office. On the other hand, when we are having family dinner, we don’t talk business. This works at home too. Yes, my wife and I discuss our day with each other, but we leave it at that. In terms of work, we drill closed-loop GSHP wells, test holes, and water wells from 5 to 16-inch casing. Our deepest hole to date is 2020 feet. We try to keep our equipment new and paid off so we don’t have to chase work because we have payments to make. Right now work is plentiful, but when things are leaner, we do a lot of GEO work. We keep a small staff (right now there are six of us), but by staying small, we don’t have to lay people off in the winter, and we can keep an eye on all of our projects. My house is built into a hill, so I have to walk up the stairs when I get home. I may sit in my truck to clear my head or finish my business when I pull into the driveway, I then take off my boots in the garage. Once the boots are off and I climb the stairs, I am focused on being husband, father, and coach. If something comes up, it can wait until after dinner or bedtime and be addressed via a text or e-mail. I have been blessed with two boys and two girls who are all healthy. My family refers to my wife as “Saint Laura” for all she does to be an awesome mother and to put up with me. Laura and I made a vow in front of family, friends, and God to be a union and every day we work on making our marriage stronger. She is my best friend and we intend to keep it that way. On social media and conventions, the issue of ‘this guy doesn’t charge enough,’ or ‘I charge x amount’ always comes up. Avoid this trap. When we give a price, it is not dependent on what our competitors are charging. We have our formulas and calculations and we charge accordingly. Speaking of competitors, embrace them. We have excellent working relationships with most of the drilling contractors in our area. We share tools, experiences, and we help each other out. You will always have the guys that give our industry a bad name, it has been that way forever, but embrace the good guys because they will be in it for the long haul with you. This past spring I coached T- ball with another local pump and drilling contractor; all three of our boys played together and had a great time. The bottom line is, these boys are all going to grow up together and be bud- dies, so why not the adults? Let me be clear, we are not perfect. Every well we drill is not perfect. However, we operate on a moral compass. If we screw something up, we fix it. If something is not right, we do the best we can to correct it. I treat every job as if it were for my own home. I use the best materials available to my best abilities. I am pretty much an office guy, but I will get on a rig to help finish a well, trip pipe, or relieve a driller. I like to get out in the field to install pumps and pressure systems as I love standing back, looking at the end result knowing I just built that. I tell people all the time, customers can’t see what we do in the earth, so what we do on the surface has to be perfect so they have reassurance. I install every pumping system as if someone else is going to work on it and I want them to tell the customer it was done right. Attend the trade shows. You meet some awesome people. I have buddies all over this country whom I met at an expo or fly-in. Also, we love doing business with great companies like WorldWide , Geo-Loop, Jon and Beth Miller at Mud Technology, and Steve up at Northwest Flattanks. I can’t say enough good things about these companies. I begin and end each day with a prayer. In between, if I wrong someone, I try to make amends. I try to learn and stay humble. I still love seeing water come out of the earth. This past month, one of our inspectors needed a well and he chose us to drill it. That says it all.” She is my best friend... Tom Guardino (dad) and Augie discuss work on the rig. 41 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® AUGUST 2015 Congratulations Augie, from Shakti Pumps USA, LLC and WorldWide Drilling Resource ® ! As Contractor of the Month, Shakti Pumps USA LLC will present Augie Guardino with a Shakti Pump Trophy along with a Certificate of Appreciation for all his long, hard hours of work to ensure the people of California have the best groundwater possible, and a monetary gift so he can take his lovely wife Laura to a wonderful dinner at the restaurant of their choice.